Month: February 2015

This Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 photo shows stroke survivor Don Sadoway, foreground, and Lee Schwamm, vice chairman of the Massachusetts General Hospital’s neurology department, in Boston. When medicine failed to dissolve a clot in Sadoway’s brain, his wife agreed to let doctors try a new type of stent, and it worked. (AP Photo/Rodrique Ngowi) The Associated Press

Stroke experts are reporting a major advance: Stents similar to the ones used to open clogged heart arteries also can be used to clear a blood clot in the brain, greatly lowering the risk a patient will end up disabled.

Jerome Kersey, a versatile small forward who helped the Portland Trail Blazers reach two NBA Finals and won a title with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999, died Wednesday. He was 52.

The Trail Blazers confirmed Wednesday night that Kersey died but didn’t provide details.

A team ambassador, Kersey appeared Tuesday with fellow former Blazers Terry Porter and Brian Grant at a Portland school in celebration of African American History Month.

Kersey averaged 10.3 points and 5.5 rebounds in 17 seasons in the NBA with Portland, the Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers, Seattle, San Antonio and Milwaukee. He helped the Blazers reach the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992, playing alongside Porter, Clyde Drexler, Kevin Duckworth and Buck Williams.

The former Longwood University star had his best season in 1987-88, averaging 19.2 points and 8.3 rebounds. He played one season with the Warriors, in 1995-96.

Jerome Kersey smiles during a news conference Wednesday, Sept. 24, 1997 in Seattle, announcing his signing with the Seattle SuperSonics for a one-year contract. Kersey, 35, is entering his 14th NBA season after playing last season with the Los Angeles Lakers. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The state medical examiner says former Portland Trail Blazers player Jerome Kersey died from a blood clot that traveled from his left calf to his left lung.

The announcement Thursday comes a day after Kersey died at 52. He had minor knee surgery Friday, but it could not be immediately determined if surgery caused the clot.

Kersey appeared Tuesday with former Blazers Terry Porter Brian Grant at a Portland high school in celebration of African-American History Month. He visited the team offices hours before his death.

Kersey helped the Trail Blazers twice reach the NBA Finals before he won a title with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999.

Patrick Reed’s wife, Justine, was hospitalized after having a grand mal seizure on Tuesday at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Fla.

Patrick Reed withdrew from Wednesday’s second day of the pro-am in the Franklin Templeton Shootout, but has not withdrawn from the tournament, which begins Thursday.

“I withdrew from today’s pro-am to be with my wife, Justine, who suffered a grand mal seizure (Tuesday) afternoon while in the bathtub,” Reed said in a statement. “We are really fortunate that she is OK and lucky that I was in the room with her to save her from drowning. I am so grateful to the paramedic team, IMG and the doctors at Naples Community Hospital for their support and care during an extremely difficult time.”

Justine Reed was scheduled to caddie for her husband this week, as she has often done in the past.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a grand mal seizure features a loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions. It’s the type of seizure most people picture when they think about seizures in general.

by Alan Shipnuck
Posted: Thu Feb. 5, 2015 on Golf.com
Patrick Reed is not a villain, but he plays one on TV.

Justine gave up Patrick’s bag with the arrival of Windsor-Wells, but ever the competitor, she still plots strategy with her man and is quick with a swing critique. Photo: Kohjiro Kinno/SIPhoto: Kohjiro Kinno/SI

In 2014, Reed proved he is really good at two things: winning golf tournaments and ticking people off. It started last March at Doral, where he beat a world-class field and then crowed in front of God and Johnny Miller that he should be considered a top five player. Reed, 23 at the time, had a pretty convincing case: It was his third victory in seven months. But golf is not a sport that smiles upon the self-aggrandizing, and Reed was mocked on social media and PGA Tour driving ranges. Then in September at the Ryder Cup, Reed morphed into a full-blown Danny Ainge—a player you love to hate, especially if you’re one of the 743 million Europeans. In a taut singles match against Henrik Stenson at Gleneagles in Scotland, Reed, after a birdie at the 7th hole, put his fingers to his lips to shush the partisan crowd. All told, he would make eight crowd-quieting birdies, including one on the final hole to win the match, set up by what he calls “the best 3-iron of my life.” At a World Golf Championship event in China in November, Reed missed a short putt and unleashed a profane rant that included a homophobic slur, which was broadcast around the world. The invective was directed only at himself, but the incident furthered the belief that Reed might not be fully in control of his instrument.